


A Dread Wolf's Heart

by E_is4Emily



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Modern Boy in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Multi, My First Fanfic, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-09-13 06:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9110449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E_is4Emily/pseuds/E_is4Emily
Summary: Three Siblings are unexpectedly pulled in to the world of Thedas after an accident on their way home. The troublesome threesome go in search of the conclave in order to find help. Treading on familiar ground, one of the older twins goes in to observe the peace talks while the two others find shelter nearby. When things go downhill, and one of them bears the mark of destruction, where will fate lead the siblings?Follow Nathaniel, Emma, and Rose on their adventure to find a way back home while trying to save a world going to ruins.**I DON'T OWN DRAGON AGE OR ANY CHARACTERS OTHER THAN MINE**ALSO MAJOR SPOILERS SO SORRY**And this is posted on Wattpad as well :D**





	1. Road Trip

Emma's POV

"We'll never get there at this speed, Nathaniel!" I tease my twin brother as he slowly drives us down the highway. He rolls his green eyes in response then sets them back onto the road.

"Yeah, we will miss Ben scarfing down dinner while April tries to get him to slow down," Rose, our younger sister laughs as she continues to French braid her blonde hair. Unlike Nathaniel and I, Rose isn't a natural brunette and instead has long blonde locks that everyone in the family is jealous of. She does, however, have the same emerald green eyes.

We have been driving for about three hours now, and we still have two to go until we are back home. The three of us have been gone all summer to visit our grandparents in England, and we are only now coming back. Personally, I'm a little disappointed to be coming back. My grandparents spoiled us and even let me play my favorite video games all day instead of actually having to go out and socialize. Of course, I wasn't always up until one in the morning desperately trying to beat Dragon Age: Inquisition, I loved touring around the foreign country. I had only just finished the newest DLC, Trespasser, the day before we left. I wonder if Nathaniel has gotten to the end...

"Nathaniel, did you ever finish Trespasser before we had to leave?" I ask, hoping I can gripe about my heartbreak to him. I had romanced Solas, and I had to deal with the pain that loving that egg head came with. Lucky for him, however, he decided to romance Cassandra. Nathaniel groaned after hearing my question, obviously unhappy with it.

"NO! I never got to it! It really ticks me off that I didn't get my ending with my beautiful battle maiden," Nathaniel complained with a sad puppy look on his face. I didn't know whether to laugh at his description of Cassandra or console him over not finishing. Rose burst out in laughter before I could do either.

"I can not believe my twenty-year-old brother is obsessed with his fictional girlfriend. Get over it. It is just a game after all," She continued to laugh even after speaking. Both Nathaniel and I are twenty, while Rose is fifteen, five years younger than us.

"It's not just a game!" Nathaniel and I both objected simultaneously. Rose stopped her unending giggling and gave us both odd looks.

"You guys really need to stop with the twin 'say stuff at the same time' thing. It's creepy after fifteen years of it," Rose said before grabbing her phone to no doubt snap chat one of her 'friends'. Though it might not seem like it at times, all three of us are really close. It wasn't like that at first.

When Rose was first born, my brother and I didn't exactly accept her. It had always just been my brother, my father, and me. Our mother walked out on us the day we were born, and we never found out why. Rose is our half-sister, but now we don't even acknowledge we have different moms. To Nathaniel and I, Nicole is our mother.  
At first, my brother and I tried to get rid of her. It even went as far as us trying to mail her to Spain. I was the one that warmed up to her first. Being girls, it didn't take long for us to bond over Barbie's and princesses.

It was harder for my brother. He always believed our mother was going to come back for us and that we'd all be one big happy family again. He saw Rose and Nicole as a threat to that dream. After many failed attempts to make them leave, he gave up. After giving up, he'd prank Rose or just plain out mess with her. It went from leaving a frog in her bed to breaking her baby doll in front of her eyes. It took me forever to get him to see that our biological mother was never coming back, and, when he finally realized what I had always known, he accepted that he could be happy with who we had. It didn't take long for him to become the protective brother. He punched anyone who bothered either Rose or me.

After all these years, no one can tear the three of us apart. We have been through hell together. Our parents died just as Nathaniel and I turned 18. We were allowed to continue to raise Rose, and have ever since.  
I was brought out of my thoughts by my brother and sister screaming. When I went to look at what it was, I became absolutely terrified. In front of us stood a towering tornado. It's different than any tornado I have ever seen. The winds are green and I swear I can see what looks like large rocks twisting around inside.

"Nathaniel! Stop the car!" I exclaim to my frozen brother. He quickly slams on the brakes, but it does us no good. Our car keeps sliding towards the twister at an alarming speed.

"Jump out of the car!" Nathaniel yells at us before frantically trying to unbuckle his seatbelt. None of them will come undone. We are all stuck inside. The car starts to pick off the ground the closer we got to the strange tornado.

"Hold on everyone!" My brother and I yell at the same time. The car flies higher into the twister and causes Nathaniel to slam his head on the window, knocking him out. I look back at Rose only to find she had already passed out from sheer fright. I scream as I watch us soar upwards. The car twists and shakes again, and I bang my head harshly against the dashboard. My vision slowly fades away, and the last thing I see before I go completely unconscious is the tornado finally consuming the whole of the car.


	2. Thedas..?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the crash, Nathaniel wakes up in unfamiliar territory. While searching for answers and his sisters, he stumbles upon a bear ready to attack. With no weapons or help, he is screwed.

Nathaniel's POV

My nose twitches as something soft brushes against it. My whole body aches, and I don't want to get up. I want to stay asleep after... after... My eyes shoot open as I remember the tornado and hitting my head on the window. I'm blinded by light the moment they open. It takes a couple of seconds before I completely adjust to the lighting.

I'm shocked, to say the least. I have no idea where I am. Colossal trees are scattered around me, and wildlife grows unchecked everywhere. The sun barely shines through the tops of the trees, and hills and mountains rise in the distance. I groan as I slowly lift myself off of the bush. What looks like a.. is that a naked rabbit?... scampers across the clearing.

Emma and Rose would think that was the cutest thing they ever saw and would beg to keep it as a pet. Speaking of Emma and Rose, where are they?

I look around frantically for the pair and become desperate when they are nowhere to be seen.

"Emma! Rose! Where are you?" I cry out, hoping that they can hear me. I listen for a moment and hear nothing. I run further in to the forest and away from the clearing yelling and screaming their names in search of the pair. I only stop running when I hear a scream off in the distance. I sprint towards the sound to find a women fighting what looks to be a giant bear.

A large gash on her arm is bleeding profusely as she tries to take down the beast with two daggers.  Her wounds prove to be to much as she falls to the ground after receiving a hard hit to the side and doesn't get back up. The bear moves closer to the women's body, and if I don't do anything it will kill her.

"Hey! You! Bear!" I shout at the overgrown mammal. It turns my way and completely forgets about the defenseless women. I realize the flaw in my plan as the beast comes charging towards me, I'm completely unarmed. Just as the bear is almost upon me, lightning comes out of no where and strikes the bear down. The bear flies in to a tree and doesn't get back up.

I sigh in relief before running towards the women who was hurt. The bleeding hasn't slowed, and her breathing is erratic. I look around for anything I can use to help, but, being in the middle of a forest, there is nothing to use.

"Here, use these," I turn around quickly to find a monsterous, pitch black wolf standing there with a bag in her mouth. Her long legs shuffle impatiently while her six red eyes look at me in annoyance. Six red eyes? Black fur? She is identical to Fen'Harel!! "Take them already, fool! She needs medical attention, and you're the only one who can give it to her!" Her voice echoes through my head loudly.

I do as she says and take what looks to be bandages and other medical supplies. I quickly clean her wounds and bandage her up as best as I can. I have only been taking medical classes for about a year, and they certainly haven't prepared me for this. After finishing, the bleeding seems to have stopped, and her breathing has steadied.

I thank the strange wolf for the supplies and sat down beside her. The sun is slowly setting, and I still haven't found either of my sisters. I stand up again, ready to begin my search.

"Where do you think you're going? It's getting dark, and you don't want to be out there alone. I say we set up camp here for the night," The wold says before standing up as well. There is something familiar about her voice, but I can't quite put my finger on why.

"I was searching for two sisters of mine before I stumbled upon this women fighting. I've helped, but now I need to get back to looking for them both," I mutter dejectedly, still worried for both of my siblings. The wolf breaks out in laughter before wrestling me in to what i suppose is a hug.

"Stupid idiot, you would think you would recognize the voices of your two sisters when you heard them!" She laughs even harder when I tighten the embrace.

"Emma! I knew something about your voice was familiar, but why do you look so... um... different?" I question hesitantly. She scrambles off of me and huffs as she sits back down. I sit with her.

"I'm not sure, actually. Rose and I woke up beside you about a week ago. We were unarmed, as you are now, and confused. We found a wagon not to far off that, by some great coincidence, was full of armor and weapons. We took what felt right and brought some back for you. It's actually right here," Emma stands up and goes to a nearby tree. She shows me some heavy chainmail along with a sword and shield. I take it and try to put on the heavy armor. It takes awhile for me to finally get the full set on.

"As I was saying, Rose and I have been surviving for a week in this forest, guarding your unconscious body as we went. We all seem to have different appearances, talents, and even ages," Emma explained," It seems me and you are around twenty five while Rose is only nineteen. She is quite talented with the bow and daggers, you know." I look over to the sleeping Rose, and, for the first time since awakening, take in her appearance.

I won't lie, she does look much older. Her armor is rather light and seems to be made of leather. Her daggers and bow lay by her side as she sleeps soundly. She still has her platinum blonde hair, but it isn't long anymore. Her hair ends at about her shoulders, and I can just barely see the sharp ends of elf ears poking out of the bob.

"She's an elf?!"I exclaim questionably.

"Yes, she is. So are you," Emma says calmly. How can she be so calm? We are elves! This is awesome! I reach up to grasp the ends of my ears, but pull back quickly when a sharp pain shoots through my body as I do. "Just a warning, elf ears are very sensitive."

"Yeah, thanks for the warning," I grunted sarcastically as I cradle the side of my head. She chuckles before continuing on with her explanation.

"I'm a wolf. As the tail and fur sort of imply. I haven't came up with an explanation as to why I look like an elvhen drawing of Fen'Harel yet, so We have elected to stay away from people until you woke up. I figured you'd fit the warrior type. You always did like playing as one in Dragon Age," Emma says quietly. She whimpers and crawls in to my lap for comfort. I pet her soft fur as I would a dogs. "I-I don't know where we are o-or how we are going to get home a-and I'm really scared a-and I don't know what to do." I cradle her in my arms and rock her back and forth while whispering in to her ear.

"It's going to be alright, Emma. We will find a way home, I promise. Just get some sleep, okay?" She nods her head slowly and I lay her down on the ground lightly. I stand up after laying her down and look around the area. It's to dark now to look for wood, but It'd be smart to have a fire in case something happens and we need to be able to see. I gather what wood I can find and try to light a fire. However, I am unsuccessful every time. Some man I am.

I give up and lay beside the two sisters I swore to my father to protect.

"I will keep our promise, father. I will get us all home safe and sound," I whisper quietly out loud before falling asleep along with my siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter! This story is probably gonna take awhile to get to where the game starts sooo yeah just a warning. I want to try to build up the three characters before just kinda throwing them into everything.


	3. Just Our Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally finding each other, the three siblings get to work on trying to figure out where they are and how to get back home.

Emma's POV

Days go by before Rose awakes and even then she is weak at best. In these days, Nathaniel practices relentlessly with his sword and shield. He easily masters it, almost as if he was born to use them. Somehow, I am able to use magic as a wolf. 

Much unlike my brother, my magical abilities are unstable and wild, albeit powerful. I do my best to not use it often, but it has become a valuable asset to us. After Rose becomes fully healed, we start moving. We spend hours searching for any clue to where we are, and, eventually, we find out. 

"THE Emerald Graves?! No! That is in no way possible! We are NOT in Thedas!" Nathaniel argues. The sun beats down harshly on to us, making it harder and harder to stay standing. We hadn't had a good nights rest in a while because of the various giants and bears that somehow always find our camp. Despite his armor and tough display, Nathaniel staggers on his feet uneasily while talking to the first group of people we have run in to since getting here. 

"Well, yes sir, you are in the Emerald Graves. Which is, in fact, in Thedas," the other man explains while eyeing me warily. I suppose I should leave them be, my presence is only scaring them. 

"Brother, I will be back shortly. Try to find out as much as you can," I say in to my brothers mind. As a wolf, I can still talk to my siblings but only through a sort of mind-link thing between the three of us. It only works from me to them, never the other way around. Also, I can't talk to just anyone, only my brother and sister. 

 

Nathaniel nods his head in response, and I go sprinting through the woods. Ever since we got here, this has been one of my favorite things to do. The freedom I feel when running is something I never want to give up. Personally, I don't want to go back. We had it rough back there, and, despite our weird situation, we could make a better life here. That isn't what the others want. We argue about it all the time. 

I stop my run when I come across what looks like an elvhen ruin. The Mage had told my brother we are in the Emerald Graves, a map in Thedas on the game Dragon Age. I had read plenty of fan fictions about people getting pulled in to the game, but I never really thought it would happen to me. For some reason, this whole situation isn't bothering me in the slightest, much unlike my other two siblings. The only thing I'm worried about is when we are. I do not want to get caught up in the blight or the Mage Templar war. 

I slowly enter the ruin, taking care to make sure I don't set off any wards or traps that might still be placed. It doesn't take me long to find the main entrance, a huge wooden door detailed with carvings that I could never hope to understand. I jump up on my hind legs to use my front paws to try to open the door, yet it doesn't budge. As I push again, words that are written in elvhen glow on the door. I back away to observe them, and I find myself able to read them.  
      
Forever we stand, forever we fight. I read the sentence over and over. How am I able to understand ancient elvhen? That doesn't make any sense!! 

Pushing that confusing problem to the side for later, I look to my left and right to find small wolf statuettes bordering the walls. Most stand up, but over time a few have toppled over on to the floor. I use my teeth the grab one of the fallen statues, as it was really small and easily fit in my mouth, and set it upright. A loud ring sounds after the statue was set up right, as if I had done something right. I repeat what I had done to the rest of the statues, and, when the final ring sounds, the large door opens.

So the writing was a clue? Whoops.

I continue inside only to find a small room with a chest. The walls of the room are tiled in gold and emerald squares, most likely depicting some 'God' that I don't know or care to know the name of. The floor is a smooth gold and illuminates  under my paw every time I step. I use my snout to push open the chest with some effort.   
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. The chest is completely empty other than a small necklace sitting in the center. The necklace looks to be more of a collar than anything. It has a white band with a single pendant hanging off of it. The pendant is red and split in to three sections that look extremely fragile.  
I try to pick it up by grabbing in my mouth, but a single section of the pendant breaks as I do. Red fumes flow from the necklace/collar and travel through my nose and my mouth. My heads whirls and I become very dizzy as I breath in more of the gas. 

I hear the distant sound of a howl as I quickly black out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELLLL was it okay..? I think it was, but I'm the author so I guess my opinions don't count...


	4. Well, Shite...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel, Rose, and Emma continue on with their journey and hope for some bit of luck.

Nathaniel P.O.V.  
    
I walk away quickly, frustrated with the situation. Never did I think I'd be in a situation like this. Emma is missing, and we are in the Emerald Graves. As in, Thedas Emerald Graves and not Earth! 

Rose and I didn't talk with the Mage for very long. He wasn't very helpful, and he was practically drooling over Rose. However, according to what he said we are about in the timeline of Dragon Age: Inquisition, right before the conclave. 

I have an idea on how to fix Emma and how to get back, but it will be risky. I decided not to share it with Rose yet, partially because she wouldn't understand and partially because we need to find Emma.

Rose runs ahead of me through the dimly lighted forest, it was close to dusk. She slices vines and bushes out of the way with her daggers, leaving an open path for me to follow. It becomes harder and harder to match her speed the longer we run. My heavy armor weighs me down considerably compared to her medium armor.   
Eventually, I can't spot her anymore. She seemed to of known where she was going. Hopefully she finds Emma before it gets too dark, it isn't safe out here. I sit down against a tall tree and rest for a minute before getting back up and running the way Rose went.

"Nathaniel! Over here!" I hear Rose yell ahead of me. I rush up to her and quickly cover my eyes. Laying on the ground is a very naked and human Emma. 

"Rose! W-Why would you tell me to hurry when you knew she was like this? You should have at least given me a warning!" My cheeks redden as I continue to yell at her. I her a slight chuckle and leaves ruffling before Rose gives me the ok to turn around.

Laying on the ground is Emma, now covered by one of our two small blankets. Her breathing is rugged, and she appears to have a necklace I've never seen around her neck. It has a circular pendant that is split into two red parts and one dark, and cracked, part.

I kneel down beside her in the tall grass to feel her pulse, and only a faint beating lightly pounds against my fingers. I begin to wonder how exactly she turned human again. As far as we had known, she was stuck as a wolf until we found a way back.

"Ugh..." Emma grumbles as she finally starts to wake up. She shifts slightly at first, and then starts spastically flailing her arms and legs. Her eyes shoot open, showing blood red iris', just as they were when she was in wolf form. I struggle to hold her down while keeping the blanket covering her form. Rose rushes to my side to help me, but somehow Emma is still able to over power the both of us. 

Emma shuffles away from us, cowering beside a tree with the blanket pulled over her. We ease toward her slowly, whispering comforting words and phrases. She doesn't move until we get right up next to her, where she turns to make eye contact with me. Her eyes blaze with uncontrolled fury, and I'm a caught off guard at the pure hatred.   
    
All of the sudden, Rose shoots three arrows in Emma's direction. I only stare in horror as they near her body. However, the arrows only serve to pin Emma down, making her immovable. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as I hurry to Emma's side and forcefully make her swallow a potion. It's only a hope, but maybe the potion will have some kind of effect.   
    
Thankfully, the potion seems to of worked because her eyes suddenly clear up, keeping their red hue but softening at the sight of us hovering over her. Tears prickle at the edge of her vision before she roughly wipes them away. 

"Nathaniel? Rose? What...what happened?" Emma softly whispers. She looks at us questionably and then at herself. Her face flashes in understanding as she sees the pendant hanging motionless around her thin, and very much human, neck. "I'm human. For now, at least. I'm almost completely sure that it won't last long."   
Rose hands Emma an extra cloak we had tucked away for emergency. Emma slowly puts on the meager clothing, flinching at every small movement. However, once she is clothed, Emma leaps into my arms and holds me close. 

"Wow, what's this? My sister is willingly hugging me? Rose, you do see this right? Damn, I wish we had a camera," I chuckle as I wrap my arms around Emma. Eventually, Rose gets pulled in by Emma and it becomes one big bundle of crazed elves. 

When we all finally let go, I lead us back to camp. Our camp is partially hidden under an alcove of rocks in the hill. Rose called it an almost-cave when we first saw it and now none of us with let her live it down. The cave, despite being almost completely dark, has a few small trees growing in its center. Above those trees is a small opening in the ceiling, allowing just enough starlight for us to see. The walk back is short and clear of any troubles. I take this time to observe the Emerald Graves.   
The game designers did their best to create something they didn't believe existed, but the game doesn't even begin to compare to standing under the canopy of trees and brushing past animals I've never even dreamed of. All in all, it's breathtaking. However, as much as I'd love to stay, we can't. Rose is so close to college, and I have responsibilities to my job back home. We might have no family left, but our friends are no doubt worried. 

After reaching camp, Rose and I fill Emma in on everything that has happened since her disappearance. Unlike my initial reaction, Emma seems calm and almost relieved with the news. That's is, until I tell her my plan. 

"WHAT?! NATHANIEL?! There is NO way in HELL I'm letting you got to the conclave! We both know what happens there, and you will NOT risk your life for some orb!" Emma exclaims in protest. The elf looks at me frustrated and frightened that I would even suggest such a thing. 

"But, Emma, that orb is the single most powerful thing we could use to send us back home. We don't know of anything else with that power other than the other orbs, but we don't know where those are. Don't you see? It is our only chance..." I beg calmly. If I raise my voice, she'll only get more angry. Her temper flares and she looks like she is about to yell more, but Rose grabs her shoulder. Emma turns her focus to our younger sister. In turn, Rose shakes her head, telling Emma to calm down.

"Ugh... fine we will go, but we bolt at the first sign of trouble. You will NOT risk your life for some orb. Plus, we can not interfere with this worlds timeline. The inquisition must form and must have its inquisitor," Emma concedes. She slides down into a sitting position while leaning her head against a moss-covered trunk. Her eyes observe the vast woods we are surrounded by and its many inhabitants. The scenery is beautiful, albeit in a pretty-yet-dangerous way. 

Rose and I move to sit on both sides of Emma. The three of us hold each other's hand in quiet comfort. 

"It'll take us about two weeks to get there. Are you positive we have enough time?" Emma questions while curling into my side. Rose mumbles a protest at the movement and shuffles closer to Emma. 

"I'm sure. The man I spoke to said we'd have plenty of time if we decided to 'Observe the makings of history'," I whisper, trying to not bother a now sleeping rose. How she passed out with all that armor on is beyond me. "I know you're scared about this plan, Emma. I am to, but it is our only hope. We might not get another chance like this." 

Emma huffs and shifts slightly so her head is facing mine. For a few moments, she hesitates to speak and all we could hear was the distant rush of water and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. The birds sing a soft melody and the strange colored nugs make the quietest sounds as the forest falls asleep. 

"I understand, Nathaniel. Just... don't risk to much. Your life is worth so much more to us than our chances of getting home. I'd much rather stay here with all three of us alive forever than make it home without any one of us. Please be careful, and please don't interfere to much with the timeline," Emma pleads. Rose hums in agreement despite not understanding the topic. She never played Dragon Age, nor did she ever listen to us when we discussed it. However, since we came to Thedas, the three of us have become much closer. It might not seem like it, but we have come to appreciate each other and our differences more than we ever did on Earth. 

"I give my word that I will not endanger myself anymore than is needed. Is that enough?" Emma nods against my chest, where she now lays. 

And so we, the three outsiders, lay on the bed of the Emerald Graves, against a tree that grew for the death of a fellow elf. We huddle together for the rest of the night, all of us too exhausted to move. I had removed my armor with some difficulty, as both sisters were angered when I moved. The night was as quiet as it could be in a place that stirs with life such as this one. The three of us fell asleep rather soundly under the light of the moon and the sound of the wind. 

My sleep was full of dreams. I began with walking through my old house, going through memory after memory of a time when everything seemed to turn in the right direction. However, the dreams quickly turned into nightmares. They showed me our parents death, the court case for custody over Rose that followed, our immediate move to London, and then our unexpected journey to one of the most unstable places we could've ended up in. 

Then came the more illusive visions. They were small scenes that would play out in no particular order over and over and wouldn't make any sense. I couldn't make out much of anything with the speed they were going. There was the distinct sound of crying, a song I once heard but couldn't put a name on it, and a throne. The throne was what puzzled me the most. A shining figure sat upon the throne, holding a globe that depicted Thedas in his left hand. The other hand held a knife by its blade, cutting into the flesh and causing the blood to form a pool under the throne. The blood was not what concerned me, however. It was what was behind the throne. Two dark figures stood in the shadow of the throne, not daring to come any closer lest they be seen. One stood tall and proud as a human-like figure while the other sat obediently almost as a dog would for its master.   
Before anything else became clear, I woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it begins... Hope you enjoyed it :D


	5. Dance with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Emprise Du Lion we go! All three of the siblings find company and shelter among the inhabitants of Emprise Du Lion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I' so so so so so sorry. Please forgive me. I changed the chapter around quite a lot. I decided I wanted to change a few things so I could speed it up to the part I wanted to be at and some other reasons. I hope you don't hate me! Sorry...

Rose's P.O.V:  
   
My legs ache. My stomach is growling. My head is pounding. Plus, these DAMN TEMPLARS WILL NOT F*CK OFF.  
   
"Rose! To your left!" I spin on my feet swiftly and duck just in time to dodge a sword aimed at my neck. A bolt of lightning shoots past me and hits my assailant straight on. He won't be getting back up. I shout a quick thanks to Emma, knowing she is the only mage in our group, and get a low bark as a reply.  
   
Seeing a perfect viewpoint on a boulder no more than a few feet away, I replace my daggers with my bow and climb up. Below me, Emma fighters fiercely with tooth, claw, and whatever magic she can control while Nathaniel bashes and slashes with his sword and shield. Grabbing a few arrows from my quiver, I rain fire down upon our enemies. Three fall to my assault while the rest are taken down by my siblings. Before sliding back down, I scan the area to make sure no more templars have decided to die. Seeing the area is clear, I hobble down through the grass to group up with the other two.

While putting my bow back, a hand suddenly reaches out to grab my ankle. I just about fall but I catch my balance. The templar attached to the hand sputters and coughs before being able to say a coherent sentence.

"You, your brother, and your vile abomination of a wolf will die. You will not reach your destination, whatever it may be," the Templar chokes out. "No one..." he coughs again," He won't allow any..." Before he could finish his sentence, a silver sword is stabbed straight into his forehead, sending more blood onto my already blood-soaked armor. I let my anger show as I stare at Nathaniel, the one who decided it was a good idea to stab the man.

"What did you do that for? Didn't you see I was trying to listen to him?" I ask with venom in my voice. Daniel raises an eyebrow at me, and slides his sword back into his shield

"That's where you went wrong. Don't listen to lunatics like him. They speak only nonsense," Emma speaks into my mind. She woke up in wolf form this morning. We all decided that breaking a piece of the collar temporarily shifted Emma back into human form. The collar is now fastened around her wolf's neck, almost as if she were our pet. The pendant part hangs loosely at the bottom, with only two more unbroken pieces and one shattered piece.

Despite still being sort of angry that he interrupted the man, I nod and move on. We made it to the outskirts of what my older siblings called Emprise Du Lion. Apparently, we weren't very far into the Emerald graves and were closer to our destination than we originally thought. On our way down the road, we hadn't passed any other travelers. The paths have been deserted the whole way, but a few animals would pass over them. That was, until we came upon some Templars yelling "Die, Mage!". And, yeah, that ended up well for them.

As we continue our journey to wherever, I am still oblivious as to what we are doing because no one has taken the time to explain it, the temperature takes a step up. Vibrant plants coat the area, and I can faintly hear the sound of a rushing river nearby.

"Nathaniel, do you think it was really a good idea to go through this area? This was, in my opinion, one of the hardest areas," Emma huffs. It seems that with her fur coat she is getting much warmer than the rest of us. Nathaniel stops for a moment, as if contemplating how to answer, before stepping again in the direction we were going.

“I'm positive. The quicker we get there, the better. Cutting through Emprise Du Lion gives us a straight shot to Haven. However, we will have to go through the Frostbacks..." Nathanial trails off as we come upon a dark red jewel cluster that is growing around our path like a weed. His eyes widen and his steps falter. Emma does the same except she makes a slight whimpering sound and backs away slowly.

I almost laugh at their odd behavior. Why were they so scared of a few red gems? I take a step closer to the 'frightening' red stuff. Staring at it, I can almost feel it pulling me towards it, as if it wants me to touch it. I go in to what could be called a trance as voices fill my head and my body moves mechanically towards the red jewels. My hand reaches out of its own accord, but just as my hand is about to touch the hypnotic gems, I am tackled by a big ball of fur and claws.

"What were you thinking?! Didn't you hear me when I told you to stay away from it? That is red lyrium! It will corrupt you into something that is no longer human," Emma growls out. Her snout hovers inches above my face, and her paws dig into my shoulders. She pushes off of me after a few seconds and pads her way to Nathaniel's side, who refuses to look at the lyrium. I push myself onto my feet, brushing off any dirt and grass in the process.  
   
"Well it isn't like I knew! Neither of you have told me a damn thing about this place! I understand that we got pulled into one of your stupid video games and that's about it! Maybe, if you would just try to explain what is going on, stuff like this wouldn't happen!" I yell out at the twins. They look at each other for a moment and nod.  
   
"Fine. We will try to explain it on the way. Don't get mad at us if you don't understand," Nathaniel mutters in agreement. The three of us resume our trek, carefully avoiding the single and small path of red lyrium. Apparently, according to Emma, it wasn't supposed to be here yet and it seemed like the enemy was purposely speeding up. I learned much more about this world and its history during our trip. The only thing we didn't get to before we got to the town was anything after the original game, meaning I don't know what happens in the dlcs.

The wind cools us as it whips past, and the sun's rays prove to be a bit worrying as we go. We come upon a loud and energetic town that neither twin can seem to remember the name of. Every building stands firm and the colors of each differ from red to even yellow. Emma goes and hides behind a nearby fallen tree so she won't frighten anyone. Before we are allowed to enter, an armored man stops us at the gate.

"Halt! What business do you have here? Don't you see we have enough people enjoying the festivities? We don't have enough supplies to handle any more," the soldier commands in an Orlesian accent. He stands on the defense, and I can spot out the occasional shift in his balance. He is exhausted and probably want to join in. He couldn't stand up against us even if he tried his hardest, so then why is he even attempting? I can see a few heads poking through the holes in the wall, showing interest in the exchange. It is Nathaniel who speaks up first, since he has practically become the leader of our little entourage.

"We mean you no harm, sir. We are simply looking for passage to the Conclave. We want to observe the peace talks," Nathaniel speaks in a friendly tone," and... we've come to enjoy this marvelous town.” I stare wide-eyed at my older brother. Enjoy it? We barely can enjoy being alive, let alone celebrate with these strangers? Maybe I should've stepped up to talk... The Orlesian soldier sheathes the sword I didn't see him grab and sighs in relief.

"Truly? You are rare, you lot. Come on in, I’m positive the citizens would love to have your company," He beams as he reaches forward to shake Nathaniel's hand. "My name is Mark. And you are...?"

"I am Nathaniel, this is my younger sister Rose, and we have one more in our company," Nathaniel says the last part almost hesitantly. His green eyes do a quick glance toward the tree Emma is hiding behind before giving an uneasy smile. Mark raises an eyebrow in question at my brother’s odd behavior, but ignores it all the same

"Who else do you speak of? I see no one else accompanying you," Mark states while looking around for another elf. Nathaniel shifts on his feet slightly.

"Well she isn't an elf-"

"A human then? Or a dwarf?" Mark interrupts. Nathaniel huffs and gives the signal for Emma to come out, which happened to be a rather complicated whistle I couldn't do. Emma, in all her black wolfy wonder, struts out from her cover, taking soft steps toward our side. Mark yelps almost pathetically and unsheathes his sword. He points it at Emma, his hand shaking.

"Makers breath! You didn't say it was a fucking wolf! It's huge! What's with the six eyes?!" Mark exclaims, all the while barely holding his footing. Nathaniel puts his hands up in a 'hold on' position, asking Emma to back up a bit. She does as he says and Mark visibly calms down, but he continues to hold his sword defensively.

"You didn't let him finish. He would've told you, but you just had to interrupt," I spit out sarcastically. Emma chuckles at my attitude and lays down on her stomach.

"Don't be so rude, Rose. He was only doing what you would've done," Nathaniel scolds. I roll my eyes while crossing my arms over my chest. This is taking way to long, in my opinion. Just go through, what's he going to do? Fall on us? "As I was saying, this is our additional companion. She, we like to call her Emma, is tame and will not hurt anyone. I believe you'd rather have her on your side than against you."  
Mark looks at Emma apprehensively, letting out a shudder. He then sheathes his sword once again.  
   
"Okay. She may come. All of you can," Mark concedes. We follow him to the center of the scattered group of buildings. One elf women ran off screaming "Dread Wolf!" when we entered. I thought it was hilarious, considering Emma is one of the least fearful people I know, but Nathaniel was worried about it affecting our stay.  Emma however... she is like me.  
   
We soon find ourselves sitting among the villagers, talking about how we got here and what we saw during our journey. I tap my foot along to the music in the background, drowning out Nathaniel’s stretched tale of our ‘adventure’. My attention is only brought back to him when one of the ladies dressed in finery gasps when he mentions rogue templars. No one seemed to believe they should be here.

"We only crossed paths with one group of them, and even then it was a small group. I suppose we could've just run into a traveling group," says Nathaniel. They all nod in agreement, drinking up every word he said. For whatever reason, they all seem interested in our group despite us being elves. The day passes on slowly. I mostly spend my time staring at the mass decorations that adorn every building and every pole, not being interested in the festivities.

Nathaniel, however, is basking in it. He dances with every available maiden and drinks flagons upon flagons of whatever they are serving. Oddly, no one seems to care we are elves. That wasn’t something I was expecting. Emma is playing with the children. Two girls are riding on her back while the rest chase them with wooden swords chanting,” We will vanquish the beast to save the maidens!” Both have huge grins on their faces. It’s the first time since being here I’ve seen them genuinely enjoying themselves. That alone brings me to smile along with them.

No one disturbs me in my dark corner on the outside of the festival. I’m obviously more out of place than the twins. They both had invested so much time into this world; they had become a part of it. While, despite knowing just about everything they do, I don’t connect to this world and its people as they do.  
However, that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the music. Music and dancing have always been a passion of mine, even when I still lived with… them. Sneaking behind an outside building where no one can see me but I can still clearly hear the music, I move in my own dance to the beat. I fall into the familiar comfort of dancing and feel a weight come of my shoulders. It’s a soothing movement that calms me with every step.

“Oh? Look what I found. A lady dancing all by herself. A crime, in its own right.” I stop immediately to look at my interrupter. A human, about my age, stands with a medium crate in his arms while staring at me with amusement. His clothes are unlike the rest of the villagers’, which were fancy and no doubt expensive. No, his were the clothes of a servant. That would explain why he is carrying crate while everyone else is celebrating.

“What are you doing back here?” I question the man. He raises a brow at me.

“My job. You’re the one that shouldn’t be back here,” He says pointedly. The music gets louder, merrier as the festivities continue.

“Well it’s not like this space is being used…”

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you have to leave! In fact…” The man moves to set down his crate beside the back of the building. He moves closer to me, his hand outstretched. I step backward. He almost looks offended at the motion. “Dance with me.”  
I huff and cross my arms around my chest. “Why would I do that?”

“Because neither of us have enjoyed ourselves tonight. Because I’m a stranger who means no harm. Because you want to. Because I’m devilishly handsome. Pick any reason, just dance. Please,” He begs in an almost haughty way. But he was right… He is devilishly handsome with his tanned skin and long dark hair that is pulled back in a ponytail. And I do want to dance with someone at least once tonight.

“Fine. But no funny business.” I move closer to accept his calloused hand. He chuckles as he pulls me into position.

“No funny business, I promise.” And so, the stranger and me dance. Around and around we go, twirling and stepping in a dance I didn’t know I knew. The moonlight shines on our small and private dancefloor, casting a luminous glow on the two of us. His hands stay in acceptable places, and soon a smile adorns both of our faces. I’m surprisingly enjoying this... “Be ready,” He whispers quietly beside my ear. I lean back to observe him with a confused expression.

“Be ready for w-AH” I squeal as the human grabs me by my sides and spins me around quickly in the air. My hair flies behind me, not intent on staying motionless. After being placed back on solid ground, I pull away to catch my breath. The only sound accompanying my heavy breathing is the chirping of nearby crickets and grasshoppers that had crowded together to watch the show.  
The man stands by my side, laughing his ass off.

“You did that on purpose!” I grumble while fixing my clothes.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” He chuckles even more at my accusation.

My elf ears pick up the sound of running water nearby by and a perfect idea for revenge pops inside me head. The man stops laughing when he catches my devious smirk. He gulps and slowly tries to step away.

“Mm mm mm! You can’t just walk away from a lady like that! That is very ungentlemanly. I expected better!” I take slow and deliberate steps going away from him and toward the faint sound of water. I don’t know why I am still messing with this stranger, or why I even decided to go along with him in the first place. But I’m not one to turn down some enjoyment.

“Oh really? What do you know about being a gentleman, Darling.” He moves in my direction, taking the bait. The rushing gets louder and louder as I move further back. At this point, I know he must hear it, but hopefully he is as dumb as he is good-looking. My heightened sight and senses keep me from falling as we get farther from the festival.

“Oh, not too much. Just enough to know you aren’t one,” I tease as I reach the edge of where I want to be. Tall grass stands behind me, sheltering my destination from his sight.

“I’m gentleman,” He insists as he draws closer.

“No, you’re not.” The water silently laps against my heels. He smirks at me, less than a foot away.

“I’ll get you for that, elf,” He says teasingly. My eyebrows raise and I hold my arms out as if to say what are you waiting for? With a smile, he leaps in my direction. I swiftly move out of his path and watch as the man belly flops in the freezing river. The man flails for a moment, completely surprised that one, he didn’t have a small elf in his arms, and two, that he is partially submerged in ice water.

My laughs fill the air as I continue to watch him struggle. I only pause when I see he is taking an extra-long time to swim to shore and get out. In fact, it seems he is only trying, and desperately at that, to stay afloat.

“I-” He goes under and comes back up,” CAN’T SWIM!” I gasp and quickly jump in to the river after him. I was just trying to mess with him! I had no intention to kill the man! I have a hard time fighting the current to get to him, but when I finally do he is calmly wading in the water… with a goddamn smile.

“Mmm. You shouldn’t of done that,” He whispers before dunking me down in the water. The two of us play around in the water for no longer than a few minutes, thankful for the distraction but no-so-thankful for the numbing water and strong current. I find myself unintentionally trusting the man and hoping we won’t have to leave the village names Sahrnia anytime soon.

My gaze follows him as he climbs onto the riverbank and out of the water. Facing with his back to me, he peels off his soaked shirt in one fluid motion, revealing a very nice toned back and probably abs if he would have been facing her. I feel the heat crawl to my cheeks and move to get out as well, grateful that the sun had lowered enough for my blushing to be not so obvious. I can’t be attracted to a stranger already! A fictional one at that!

Reaching the edge, I see a hand outstretched in front of me. Naturally, when I grab the hand as support to climb up, I fall into the human’s chest. I was right. It is a nice chest. I mumble a small apology before detaching myself and going in search of a towel or something to dry myself with. I go back to the crate he had brought with him, the music and cheers getting louder the closer I get. Finding some cloth that could work, I attempt to dry myself but to no avail. I flinch when I feel a hand on my back, easily feeling through the wet clothes clinging to my body.

“Shhh. It’s just me,” He assures me while keeping his hand gently on my lower back,” I have something that could help. If you’ll allow me?” I nod my head slowly before feeling slight heat on my back and then feeling all the water drop off me as if I had never been in the water. I turn sharply around, staring wide-eyes at the human.

“You’re a mag-” A hand clasps firmly on my mouth to keep me from finishing that last word. Mage. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against mages, namely because Emma is one. I was only surprised to find one hiding so easily among society. From what the twins had told me, the mages were usually kept locked up somewhere and were practically shunned. He, being a laborer who was no doubt treated as less than nothing from the nobles, is a mage who seemed to know what he was doing.

“You might not want to say that so loud, darling,” He whispers into my ear from his position behind me. He is right. Wouldn’t want the whole town knowing of their resident wizard, would we? Though I don’t think they’d be able to hear me over their drunken cheers and tavern music.

“Fuckin’ servant! You’re s’pose to be keepin’ my drink full! What the hell you doin’ dallying with some elven wench? Get back to work!” Him and I split apart instantly as some no-name noble comes around the corner to glare at the human. Grumbling and spitting out insults as he goes, the noble returns to the party after getting his point across.

The human that I now consider almost more than a stranger after… whatever you would call what we did… turns around to grin a me with a surprisingly straight line of teeth. I didn’t think anyone here would be able to have teeth similar to ours with their methods being so…basic. I smile back at him, laughing softly at the obviously drunk noble’s display.

“It was nice to finally meet you, Rose. It seems I have to go,” He chuckles before sauntering off in the direction of his master. I stare wide-eyed at his retreating figure. He knew my name..? How..?

“Wait!” I call out after the man. He stops in his tracks, turning his face slightly to the side to acknowledge that he is listening to me. “What is your name? I never caught it. You seem to know mine for whatever reason, so it is only fair I know yours in return.” He smirks.

“Mmm… Shael. Call me Shael,” He says before moving completely out of sight.

“Shael. Sheaaalll. Shael.” I grin inwardly, secretly enjoying the way his name rolled off my tongue. I recognized the name as Hebrew, having had a Hebrew friend who had a family member with a similar name. Looking at myself, I realize it would probably be a good idea to make myself presentable before joining my popular siblings.  
After fixing my attire and doing all I could with my hair, I walk through the grass back to the festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the change again... I hope you still enjoy it! and thank you so very much for the people who left kudos :D


	6. How Dare You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma, Rose, and Nathaniel talk about their plan before they decide to go through with it.

IDK WHAT TO CALL THIS P.O.V. SO JUST GO WITH IT.

After staying about a week in Sahrnia, the three siblings had gotten quite close to its residents. Rose and Shael seemed to have made a connection that made her sister, Emma, suspicious. To all three of their surprise, not many people seemed to of cared that they were elves. 

Emma loved playing with all the little children, who were the only ones who would be close to her for extended amounts of time. They had come up with all kinds of games to keep her involved, usually ones that gave her the role of “beast” or “Wolf queen”. She didn’t mind though, it kept her sane throughout the week.

None of them had cared talked about their predicament yet. They all just accepted it, in their own way, and moved on. It was something the three of them had gotten used to while being together… survival. However, Emma knew the other two had to be distressed. Nathaniel had just graduated Medical school and had been planning on proposing to his two-year girlfriend. He had his whole life ahead of him, and she didn’t doubt he was overwhelmed with worry and was just hiding it well. He was always the one to keep the three of them together, their glue in a way.

Rose… oh Rose. She was probably the worst off. Emma knew it. Rose had never played the game, and she had no idea what was going on. Emma had tried to comfort her by giving her as much information as she could, but it only served to frighten Rose more. Rose had friends back home and she was an amazing student. She was going to graduate before all her peers because she was already on college level studies! Just thinking about it made Emma proud.

On the other hand, she had nothing back home. Emma chose to forgo college on the grounds that she needed to be home to help raise Rose. She had one friend, who she could not even put a name to. She only could remember her because she had also been Emma’s manager. Emma had been trying out her luck in the music career, with little to no luck. She didn’t want to go back. She didn’t have anything to go back to.

Emma was brought out of her thoughts by Nathaniel’s voice.

“I think this should be far enough. Do you agree, Emma?” Nathaniel questioned the she-wolf. Emma looked at their surroundings. Haven stood some good ways away in front of them, but they had agreed not to go into the village unless it was absolutely necessary. The group had left Emprise Du Lion after their week-long stay and had quickly made their way to Haven. Now at their destination, they only needed to go along with their plan and they may just make it home.

Emma nodded at his choice of where they should camp. They were far enough away from Haven as to not be seen and not be caught in the blast if something went terribly wrong. Haven itself was much larger than she had thought it would be. The game had depicted a small village with maybe 12 cabins to shelter its inhabitants, but in truth it was a large town that could hold more than two-hundred people. She could see the distant rising of smoke in different spots around the village from fires. 

“Yes,” she gave a curt answer into their minds before moving to try to help set up. The snow did not bother her as much as it would have if she were in her elven form, but the wind was vigorous in its attempt to cut through her coat and slide over her skin. Her collar dangled from her neck as she rolled out a tent covering with her snout, now with only one glowing piece. They had used the second transformative gem-thing in a desperate attempt to calm a hostile dalish clan who wouldn’t listen to either of her siblings. Unfortunately, it was a waste as she didn’t help the situation at all. They ended up running for their lives because they refused to attack the elves. 

Not long after they had started, the three of them managed to set up the tent and bedrolls they had been graciously given by some of the villagers back in Emprise Du Lion. They sat in the tent together, discussing what was to come next.

“I’m going to head up to the conclave soon, probably going to blend in with some mercenary group or something. I have a strong feeling that what we need will be there soon,” Nathaniel announced as he relaxed in his pants and shirt. He finally was able to get out of his armor, and Emma made sure none of them were cold by putting glyphs around the tent to warm them up. Emma hesitated before saying something, but she realized it needed to be heard.

“Nathaniel… I don’t think this is a great idea. You going in there and grabbing the orb will quite literally change the whole storyline. We would ruin so many people’s fate, and if we get stuck here we will have no idea what will come next. I don’t think this is a solid plan. It has to many risks,” She advised, still speaking through their mind link. Emma made sure Rose could hear them so she wouldn’t feel excluded, even if what they were talking about confused her. The elf herself laid curled up on one of the three bedrolls, barely listening. Emma saw Nathaniel scrunch his eyebrows together and then sigh.

“None of that matters. You know just as much as I do that this is our only chance. Unless you feel like hunting down Coryphaeus, which I think is an even worse plan than this is. As much as it pains me to say this, these people and this world… it is all fictional. It does not even exist. We can’t forget that. Their fates don’t matter.” Nathaniel looked at her solemnly. Emma stood up on all fours and glared at him.

“How dare you say that! Look at this Nathaniel, look at where we are! How can this NOT exist? This is just as real as where we are from. These people, real. This world, real. How can you abandon them knowing what is going to happen? Our world is going to do just fine without us, but this world, Thedas, it needs us. We could actually do some good here! Is that not why you joined the medical field in the first place? So you could help people? You are dooming them to a fate worse than death if we go through with this!” Emma growled and snarled in his direction. How could he? Nathaniel stood up as well, towering over her. 

“I don’t know, Emma! I do want to help, but you don’t understand at all! I have so much at home and I can’t just leave it all behind! We don’t know if time here and time there are the same! For all we know, every minute here is a day there. Our lives, our family, and our friends could all be wasting away while we sit here and argue. They don’t even know if we are alive, Emma… She doesn’t know…” Nathaniel broke into sobs before finishing, falling down onto his knees. He clutched his face in his hands, his pride not letting us see the tears fall. 

Emma slowly shuffled over to stand by his side. She laid he head softly on his shoulder, giving him the only support she could as a wolf. His crying slowed as her wrapped his arms around her wolf form. Emma glared over in Rose’s direction and sort of signaled her to come over. Rose sighed and joined the hug, adding her own support in the motion. 

After a few minutes of hugging and listening to the howling of the wind outside, the three separated and gave each other grim looks. Emma nodded in Nathaniel’s direction.

“Go ahead with your plan, Brother. You are correct in that I don’t understand. I proably never will. However, I trust you. If there is anyone who could pull this off, it is you.” Rose hummed in agreement at Emma’s statement. Nathaniel smiled sadly at his sisters, and all three of them rose from their positions.

“Thank you, Emma and Rose,” Nathaniel said with tear-stained cheeks,” I must go now if I wish to make it in time. I love you both. Please stay safe, I WILL be back and we WILL make it home. Goodbye.” He promptly left the safety of the tent and began his journey to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, leaving behind the two sisters.   
Rose sniffled a bit before sitting herself back down on her bedroll. 

“Emma…can he? I remember what you two told me about this part of the game. If he fails in getting the orb, and the big bad guy releases its power, there will be an explosion that will level the surrounding area. I’m not stupid. I know that if he doesn’t get the orb he will die in the blast with the rest of the hundreds of people up there. But, I guess what I am asking is if he even has a chance?” Rose spoke faintly, her eyes beginning fill with held in tears. Emma thought about it for minute. Can he really do it? Or are they doing this on blind hope and luck? 

She doesn’t want to lie to her sister, but neither does she want to hurt her with the harsh truth.

“I believe he can. I know he can. We will be home soon, Rose. Count on it,” Emma hummed before walking over to their packs in the corner of the large tent. Using her snout to shuffle through hers, she brought out some dried meat. She gobbled up her meager meal, having not eaten all day. Emma then moved into her spot next to rose and laid down, hoping sleep would overcome her fear. 

Thankfully, she could feel herself slipping into the comfort of unconsciousness. Maybe she would be able to visit the fade for the first time tonight. She had been unable to slip in so far, but Emma could feel it just within her reach. Falling into her first deep sleep since being here, Emma didn’t feel the arms that wrapped around her in a warm embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually decided to split this chapter into two because it just had a logical splitting point. I hope you liked the new chapter and are excited for what's to come! :D


	7. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finally enters the Fade. However, she wasn't expecting the large group of familiar elves waiting for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm just going to warn you now. I attempted to write some Elvhen in this chapter and when I say it is rough... I mean it is Reallyyyyyy rough. I did my best, so please forgive me if I spelled or wrote something wrong! I hope you enjoy it! :)

**NO SPECIFIC P.O.V. BUT I GUESS IT IS EMMA**

She made it. She _really_ made it! Oh, this was amazing! Emma was finally in the fade! She didn’t know how she managed to pull it off, but it honestly didn’t bother her. She probably shouldn’t be this excited, but she can’t seem to help it. She knew she was a dreamer when she first fell into this world; she could feel it somehow. The Fade had always seemed to intrigue her, and it was one of her favorite things to talk about with her brother, Nathaniel.

            The fade stretched out as a blank canvas before her, waiting patiently for her to form it to her will. She was in her elven form, with her long ebony hair, a vallaslin that she couldn’t remember, and eyes that didn’t seem to know what color they wanted to be. The first time she shifted, she had eyes that would rival the red color of blood in its intensity. The second time, they had been blue and cold. Now, they were a shining gold that had a sharpness to them that could kill someone with a single look.

However, Emma was alone in the Fade with no barriers of any sort and no idea how to avoid demons should they appear. She wanted to explore, but was uncertain of the consequences should she choose to.

            “Oh, to hell with it. You only live once.” Emma closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. She tried to imagine a setting the fade could easily pull out of her head and display in front of her. One place, in particular, came to mind. _The_ _Temple of Mythal_. Emma had always wanted to experience it for herself. She wanted to see the emerald and gold murals that decorated the temple’s wall; she needed to see the architecture that had stood for so long despite the world desperately trying to destroy it.

            Soon, she felt a tingle on her skin as if she had passed through an invisible barrier. The space around her changed, morphing into the landscape she had memorized.

            “Well, I was not expecting this. I haven’t run into one of your kind in a very long time.” Emma shot open her eyes at the sound of another person, or thing, nearby. She gasped at the sight of the elvhen temple surrounding her. It stood strong and resilient and did not show any signs of deterioration. The golden tiles shined beneath her, and the murals of the Evanuris were as detailed as they were the first day they were made. She observed in awe the intricacy the ancient elves went into when designing the temples of their “Gods”.

            “Ahem.” She turned to meet the other elf she had been unintentionally ignoring while looking around. She was, once again, struck dumb at the sight of a familiar face in front of her. The male elf stood tall above her, his usual golden sentinel armor shining against the light with its hood pulled up to cover most of his head and face. However, she could still make out his golden eyes and green vallaslin dedicated to the All-Mother. Snow-white hair barely peaked out from under the hood.

                                                                                                   

                                                   

            “Well if you’re quite done ogling me and the temple, I’d like to know the name of the woman who intrudes upon our halls during our slumber. I am- “

            “Abelas. Your name is Abelas,” Emma interrupted the sentinel and his face showed the slightest hint of shock before returning to a look of annoyance. He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped closer to observe her, the tail of his cloak swishing with each step.

            “How do you know of me, mortal?” Abelas spoke plainly, almost uninterested. But she could see the suspicion in his eyes and knew she needed to speak carefully. Emma held her head up, meeting the elf in his inquisitive glare.

            “I didn’t have to know of you to know your name, sentinel. Your face alone shows me everything I needed to know to guess. Sorrow. Fitting, if a bit dramatic,” She answered calmly. Abelas nodded, seemingly content with her answer as if he had been told the same thing a thousand times.

Emma stood still, just now noticing her attire. She had inadvertently dressed in her clothes from home. She was clothed in ripped jeans, converse, and her old hoodie that she really missed. She quickly willed herself into clothing more appropriate for this world, somehow coming up with something similar to mage robes. They were a deep blue with a dark leather bodice. Her shoulders were left uncovered, but a small line of blue fabric went from the middle of the corset to the collar that stayed on her neck. Loose sleeves covered her arms, and a golden belt wrapped around her hips.

                                                                                                                                                          

(Something like that cause I love that outfit)

Abelas raised an eyebrow at her change of attire but otherwise stayed silent about it.

“However, that does not explain your existence or how you managed to slip passed our wards,” He questioned her. Emma didn’t know how to answer this one. All she knew was she woke up in Thedas as a wolf, was a _skilled_ mage of all things, and in some way, was able to slip past the wards of ancient elves who had years of experience on her.

“I’ll tell you this once: I have no f*cking clue. Not a single one,” Emma sighed and shook her head. Looking around, she noticed they had gained a decently large audience. The other sentinels stayed close to the walls of the large room but watched with interest nonetheless. They probably haven’t had visitors, or rather intruders, in quite some time. The old she-elf that would be the Inquisitor’s guide during the quest “What Pride had Wrought” leaned attentively against her staff on the balcony above them. Emma almost giggled at a realization. She was in the same room, but the old elf stood in place of Abelas while he interrogated Emma.

Abelas hummed in response to her answer and began to circle her. His metal armor clinked against the tiles with each step, echoing in the eerily silent room. He eyed her distrustfully with his arms still crossed on his chest.  

“Your reason for intruding, then. You have to give us something.” Emma rolled her eyes at the continued questioning. It isn’t like they were actually at the temple, she wasn’t going to drink the well. This was the Fade, and this temple only a reflection of the true masterpiece. If she was going to do anything to harm them, she would’ve done it already. She had simply wanted to explore an Elven temple and THIS is what she got.

“I was curious. I had heard of the beauties of the ancient elven temples and I wanted to look upon them myself. I wanted to learn more about what came before and about what exactly I am, and instead, I find myself getting interrogated like some criminal! Honestly, if you want me to leave you should have just said so already. It would have wasted less of my time,” Emma huffed before closing her eyes,” I will just leave you cranky, suspicious old elves to your fun.” Before she could imagine herself somewhere else, a voice called out from the crowd.

“Tel’josh (Do not move),” the old she-elf that stood above her commanded. Emma slowly opened her eyes and stayed stationary in her spot, somehow understanding the language. The elf fade-stepped from above to stand directly in front of her. Up-close, she was much smaller than Emma but no less intimidating. She observed her closely before backing away and whispering something to Abelas.

“Ar banalasa! (I refuse!)” Abelas argued with the woman, but, when she raised a gloved hand, he silenced.

“Vis as nuven’in dirthala, ma ju’ghi’la ash (If she wants to learn, you will teach her),” The older elf ordered. Abelas looked as if he wanted to strangle us both then and there but wouldn’t do so _at the moment._

“Ar ju… [ I will… (ju is usually a prefix for verbs like dala… Judala =will kill. I just couldn’t think of another way to say it)]” Abelas agreed in an irritated voice. The sentinels who had gathered around visibly gawked at Abelas, probably not used to seeing the stubborn male submit. Abelas moved toward Emma and roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the room and away from everyone else. He opened up a door that was hidden away in the back of the room that led to a side passage. Emma tugged her arm from his grip as they went in. The ceiling changed to a dark emerald instead of the glass one from before, and the walls were less decorative. This was probably the elves’ version of servant’s passageways.

“You didn’t need to grab me like that! Saying ‘follow me’ has relatively the same effect as pulling one’s arm off to drag them somewhere,” She huffed while rubbing the hand-shaped sore on her arm. He was as strong as he looked, and it probably didn’t help that they were in the fade, where their senses where practically multiplied by a million. Abelas rolled his eyes at her complaining and waved a hand at her to follow. She complied, not having anything better to do at the moment.

The hallway became more narrow and the torches became more scarce as they continued forward. It was silent between the two of them, him content with leading and she content with following. Emma stared at the paintings that lined the walls, marveling at the exquisite artwork. The style was oddly like Solas’ paintings in the rotunda at Skyhold. She wondered if he had perhaps painted these once upon a time.

Emma swore as she came face to face with Abelas’ back, hitting her head hard on his armor when he stopped at the end of the hallway. The contact made her head throb, and she wondered why it hurt so badly.

“Damn. What is that stuff made of?” Emma whispered more to herself than Abelas. He smirked at her comment and turned to open the wooden door in front of him. Light poured into the dark hallway as the doors moved to reveal a large, circular courtyard. A massive tree grew in the middle of the courtyard, and its enormous arms reached out to the edge of the area, giving the enclosure a golden hue as the light shined through the leaves. Stone pathways went this way and that, leading to unknown destinations. There were tables with chairs scattered around and an occasional pond or fountain. The outer walls were lined with bookshelves that held a vast amount of knowledge in every book.  

Emma itched to pick up a tome and read until she had to wake up, but she didn’t yet know what Abelas had brought her here for. Speaking of Abelas… She shifted her stare to the tall elf. He watched her with concealed amusement, most likely finding humor in the dumbfounded mortal. She met his gaze, observing the eyes that held so much. Emma found herself almost pitying him; Sorrow was a name no one should have to shoulder. What had he gone through to earn it? Abelas was the one to break off the eye-contact first.

“This will be where we meet for now on, as long as you deem to come. Few of us travel this far west of the main sanctum, and most stay crowded to the main common room on the opposite side of the temple. Velanna and the others will not disturb us here,” Abelas began,” However, I believe you have somewhere to be.”

Suddenly, an ear-splitting sound rips through the fade. Green light floods the edge of Emma’s vision, and the Temple of Mythal and Abelas fade away. Screams of fear and terror fill the Fade. Emma stared in horror at the colossal hole in the sky and thought of only one name as she was torn from the Fade. _Nathaniel._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOO how was it? A bit surprising yeah? Well, maybe not but oh well. Don't forget to comment! I love hearing from you guys :)


	8. Topsy Turvy and Down We Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Rose are left to their own devices when the conclave goes boom. Emma reminisces on some hold memories, one haunting and one happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOSH GUYS I AM SO SORRY. I thought I was posting these once a week like I promised, but apparently NOT! THEY HAVEN'T BEEN UPLOADING!!! AND THE INTERNET DELETED THEM ALL SO I HAD TO START OVER. So, I am sorry for the delay, but here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it! <3

**Emma-ish P.O.V.**

Emma woke up to chaos. The screams were just as ear-piercing in the waking world as they had been in the Fade. In the distance, the breach swirled and threatened from its place in the clouds. _Shit._ She lay there in the frigid snow, gaping with her six eyes at the thing that completely changed everything.

  Emma desperately grappled at the connection that she had with Nathaniel and felt it slip like silk through her grasp. She lost it. She lost him. He was gone and _she felt it_.

But she didn’t really feel anything, not the cold prickling at her, not the hand laying on her back stroking her softly, not the wind flowing through her fur, and not the oddly human tears that fell down her face as she howled louder than she ever had before. The sound echoed between the trees and mountains and reached into every soul in the surrounding areas. She didn’t give a damn, the whole f*cking world would hear her sorrow.

Only when Rose kneeled directly in front of her did she finally quit. Her vision cleared and focused onto her sister. The small she-elf looked worse off than she felt. Rose’s face was pale and tears fell in a steady stream down her cheeks. Her hands were shaking as she reached out toward Emma. Emma felt Rose’s hands clench onto her fur as her sister roughly embraced her. Rose’s sobs were the only thing that reached Emma’s wolf ears for what seemed to be hours.

“Emma…” Hearing Rose’s broken voice instantly sobered Emma out of her shock, and her senses came slamming back into her. Emma realized just how steep of a drop they had just fallen in; how dire their situation had become. She needed to be the older sister; she needed to take the lead. Emma backed away from Rose, whose tears had come to a slow stop, and looked at her seriously.

“ _We… need to move. There is a field next to Haven that would suit us well until we must move again. Nathaniel would want us to continue. The Inquisition is now our only hope…_ ” She said softly. Rose nodded solemnly and slowly stood back up. We both moved back to our tent and supplies and began packing up.  It took longer to pick it up than it had to set it out, mainly because Nathaniel wasn’t there to help anymore, but neither of them mentioned the extra effort.

After finishing, they started their trek down the small mountain to the plain near Haven. Emma remembered it being surrounded by trees, which would likely provide more coverage from storms and onlookers than their previous location. Despite the depth of the snow they walked through, the trip was relatively easy. The harsh blizzard had turned into nothing more than a light flurry, and the sun had risen above the mountains and trees to cast a warm gleam over them.

Neither of them spoke on the way down. They both did not have the energy nor the heart to try to make small talk after the events of the morning. In the silence, Emma was easily pulled into a daydream. It was a memory and a happy one at that. She imagined their first day in England and the enthusiastic faces of both Rose and Nathaniel as they both vowed to get the “Full British Experience” before they had to leave. Emma had only stood backed and observed the two moving to and fro as they walked down London’s busy streets. She didn’t blame them for being excited. None of them had ever left their hometown, much less America. The hectic city and large buildings were not what the three of them were used to.

She remembered Nathaniel running up to a random food stand and ordering the first thing on the menu, which had been Fish and Chips. He hated fish so he was giving those to Rose, but he absolutely loved Lays Chips. The puzzled look on his face when he had been handed fried fish and _French fries_ had caused both Rose and her to laugh uncontrollably. His dark eyes went from confused to determined in a matter of seconds after that.

“I will eat these so-called ‘chips’ of England! And I will enjoy them! You watch!” He declared before scarfing down every single fry and fish he had bought. Rose protested and yelled when he didn’t save her any. He smiled victoriously with a mouth full of potatoes, but soon his face had turned a nasty green. He held his hands on his stomach, and Rose and I backed away slowly. He has never had a strong stomach…Nathaniel ran towards a nearby _water fountain_ and barfed his insides up. Everyone who had been sitting on the edge of the fountain quickly moved away from the sick American and spreading vomit. While it had been a hilarious moment to both Emma and Rose, Nathaniel probably wouldn’t say as much.

Emma also recalled when she had stormed out of their apartment, which was right next to their grandparents because they apparently owned the complex, because she had been trying to facetime her boyfriend back in America, but he hadn’t answered her first ten calls. The eleventh was answered by none other than her supposed best friend, who was quite obviously sharing a bed with the man. She had been furious and sad and all kinds of hurt, so she decided it was a good time for a rage-induced trip to a club or bar; she didn’t care which.

Long-story-short, she ended up piss-drunk and on the lap of some guy that she couldn’t even put a face to. All she remembers is that, at the time, her intoxicated mind thought he was god’s gift to humanity. He apparently thought so too, voicing often how lucky she was to have gotten his attention. The music had been blaring loudly in her ears and caused such a throbbing headache that Emma eventually got off his lap and quickly, or about as quickly as her drunk self would allow, left the club. What she didn’t know was that he had followed her outside and into the secluded area where she had taken shelter.

She wasn’t a weak woman and had been taking classes in kickboxing and other types of fighting since her parents died. However, she was no match for the man who towered in front of her in the state she was in. Emma didn’t like to reminisce on that particular part of the memory, but she does remember that as the night she was almost raped.

“ _Again,”_ She thought to herself. But that was another memory for another day. She had been lying defenseless on the ground, her clothes practically ripped to shreds, when Nathaniel came storming around the corner in a fury she had only seen once before. He eyes had been dark with an untamed rage, and, despite the fact that he was half the size of her attacker and had as much muscle as a new-born child, Nathaniel beat the guy into an unrecognizable state. When the police and paramedics arrived, they had a hard time believing it was Nathaniel who had protected her. The attacker had several broken ribs, no doubt internal bleeding, a dislocated arm, and a serious brain injury to boot.

Emma had refused the help of the paramedics, insisting she was perfectly okay and only slightly shaken. She had a deep rooted hate for hospitals and especially police. Nathaniel had whisked her away before they could force her into an ambulance, and took her home. He drew her a bath while she silently undressed and covered herself with a towel. He turned as she slipped into the warm bubble bath, ever the gentleman.

“Are you… Okay?” He questioned softly while washing her back. They had been silent up until that point, and she jumped slightly at his voice. Nathaniel frowned at her reaction but said nothing about it. 

“Yes,” Emma responded quietly while humming contently at his kneading. Despite being completely bare in front of him, yet still covered by the bubbles, the situation wasn’t awkward nor sexual in the way it would be with any other man. Nathaniel was her twin, and they often did this when Emma was distressed or upset. Baths calmed her for some unknown reason. “You did it again.”

“Did what?” Nathaniel flashed a knowing smile in her direction, one she couldn’t see because her back was to him. He switched to massaging her head with shampoo.

“You know exactly what I am talking about,” Emma scoffed,” How’d you know where I was? How’d you know I needed you?”

“Hmmm… I guess you could call it my Twinstict! I just had a feeling you needed me, and my feet took me where I needed to go,” Nathaniel explained while washing the remaining shampoo out of her hair. She understood what he was trying to say. She had felt it before and several times at that. It brought her to him during one of his worse nights, when medical school had him stressing at an all-time high along with problems with his girlfriend. He had gone alone to a park, and somehow, she had found him there without outright following him.

After she had gotten out of the bath, they both went to her bedroom where Nathaniel stayed and played games with her until she fell asleep. Emma smiled fondly at the memories. She missed him and his silly antics and his comforting presence and just him. She felt like she lost an important half of herself, and Emma wasn’t yet sure how to deal with that.

Once reaching their intended destination, the two of them worked at making camp again. It was only about early afternoon when they finished; the trip hadn’t taken long. They were surrounded by enough trees to keep sheltered, and they were just close enough to Haven to be safe but not discovered.

Emma sat outside the tent, patiently waiting for Rose to finish changing into better hunting apparel. Rose came out in a light-colored medium armor with her arrangement of weapons all strapped somewhere on her body. She held her dalish-styled bow in her hand and made her way to the woods.

“ _Wait! Rose_!” Rose halted her movements and turned her head slightly to the side. “ _Scout out Haven if you can. They should be bringing in an unconscious prisoner sometime about now, probably with a shit ton of soldiers around them. Don’t risk getting caught, but I’d appreciate it if you could describe to me what they look like. Maybe the Herald is from one of my... or his... play-throughs. That could help us decide our next move.”_ She nodded her head in understanding and disappeared into the woods.

Emma had decided to stay behind to watch the camp. A giant, black, wolf with six red eyes would definitely draw more attention than a small elf would. She had no vallaslin, Emma had been the only one who had one, so she’d likely be written off as a servant or stray hunter.

Emma desperately wanted to return to the fade and to Abelas. She wanted to know why they were in the fade in the first place, and why he had so easily submitted to that really, really, really old elven woman. And maybe… just maybe the sentinels could help them go home. They had little to no plans on what to do next, but the sentinels would be a big step forward if they knew anything. However, she needed to stay on guard. Any patrol or stranger passing by could easily warn the soon-to-be Inquisition of their presence. Not that they are all that important in their eyes, but she didn’t want to be studied or caged. And she _defiantly_ didn’t want Solas to find her. THAT would be a disaster for them both.

Emma had fallen head-over-heels for the egghead while playing the game and had been heartbroken at his disappearance and eventual betrayal. She didn’t want to be drawn into that again, especially since she was now the only one with any knowledge of the future. He’d kill her on the spot, and Rose would either be killed along with her or left to fend for herself in a world she barely understood. Neither option was acceptable.

So, she’d stand guard.

Hour after hour passed as Emma awaited the return of her sister, but she never showed. She grew more nervous with every minute that passed. The snow had picked up again and the sun had vanished behind the mountains. Stars began to dot the sky, forming constellations she couldn’t hope to name. She desperately wanted to go and search for her sister, but she couldn’t hope to track her.

So, she sat.

Eventually, the moon reached its peak, and Emma could tell it was midnight. Her breath came out in visible puffs of air as she paced impatiently around the camp.

 _Ughhh… Forget it, I’m going to go find her_. She stepped heavily on the snow, yet she left no pawprints. _Huh. That’s weird._ Emma barely walked a few feet when she saw Rose’s figure rushing in her direction. She was shivering, and she had her arms held close as she ran. Though her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, rebel strands still flew this way and that. Rose stopped and knelt right in front of Emma, her bright smile contrasting strangely with her wet cheeks.

“ _Rose, what’s going o-“_ Emma’s heart stopped when she felt a small tether reach out to her spirit. It was cheerful and strong and everything _he_ was. However, something had changed. When she reached out and grasped the link with everything she had, it radiated brightly yet it felt so weak.

“It’s Nathaniel. He’s alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO was it okay? I literally wrote this all day today on a coffee high and sugar comaish state. So, I'm sorry if it is no good. I just wanted to actually give you all something BECAUSE APPARENTLY MY INTERNET HATES ME. Anyways, I gotta question for ya. Whose you guy's favorite character? I know we haven't gotten toooo far into this, but I promise we will get to the main story line soon! :D


	9. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel finally wakes up and finds out things did not go exactly as planned. While he struggles to accept what has happened, Emma and Rose hatch a plan to save their sibling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This took way too long. Might be because I've been in school all summer, and we aren't allowed laptops. But still. Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

**Nathaniel P.O.V.**

Well. That hurt like a motherfucker.

            The cold stone beneath Nathaniel kept him grounded while an excruciating pain shot through his left arm. Green light stained everything he saw, blinding him to his true surroundings. When the light retreated to its source, Nathaniel did his best to observe the room around him.

            Nathaniel was kneeling in the middle of what he recognized to be the Haven dungeons with four soldiers standing around him, swords drawn and ready. The steel handcuffs clamped around his wrists rubbed his skin sore. He stared in horror at his left hand, where the green light of the anchor swirled uncontrollably. Goddamn, it _hurt_. How… How did he have this? It was not meant for him! He had met his Trevelyan warrior character, David, at the Conclave. David was supposed to be here, not Nathaniel.

            Only if he could remember what had happened, maybe he could understand how he had gotten in this situation. Of course, Nathaniel knew what had happened in the game; he wasn’t that oblivious. However, things had obviously gone seriously wrong if he was in David’s place. _Maker’s breath_ he screwed up. _Really_ screwed up.

            Nathaniel’s ears picked up the sound of dripping water, probably melting snow, and footsteps, one pair he could barely make out and one pair that thundered closer with each step. The door slammed open and into the wall, probably cracking the stone. He struggled to focus his vision on the figure, or was it two? It must be two. Leliana came in with Cassandra; he knew that.

            The soldiers sheathed their swords.

            “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now,” Cassandra began in her Nevarran accent,” The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.” She stalked around Nathaniel in circles, observing him with an accusing glare. Leliana only watched from her spot in the corner.

            They were clearly waiting for him to answer, but he couldn’t. Well, he had the ability to, but Nathaniel just _couldn’t_. The inside of his head was going insane. They are standing right here, in front of him! Oh, he was fanboying _so_ hard. His beautiful battle maiden and scary ass spy master are real!

Nathaniel wanted to say something; he really did, but he was afraid it would come out in gibberish or something else that might make him seem even more of a fool in front of them. While his mind was in turmoil, Cassandra had grown impatient.

            She snatched hold of his left hand and pulled it up for him to see.

            “Explain _this_.” Cassandra shoved it back toward him.

            “I-I can’t,” He stuttered out while staring doe-eyed at the intimidating warrior. Her scar was more pronounced than it was in the game, and her hair was slightly longer. The signature braided hair-crown that always sat atop her head was more of a sloppily thrown together attempt to get part of her hair out of the way. However, Cassandra was still wearing the armor he remembered.

            “What do you mean, you can’t?” She growled. She stalked him like prey, daring him to make a wrong move. So far, they had been saying the game dialogue, so Nathaniel decided to go along with it.

            “I don’t know what that is or how it got there,” Nathaniel said. Her eyes turned furious the moment the words left his mouth; that had been the wrong move.

            “You’re lying!” Cassandra moves to grab him, and he about falls backward trying to avoid her.

            “We need him, Cassandra,” Leliana stated while stepping in between Nathaniel and the raging seeker. He was thankful for the help, but he still had no idea how he got here or why.

            “Ugh…This is so confusing.” Nathaniel stared at the two people now in charge of his fate. Who knows, the game could’ve been wrong, maybe they’ll kill him. Or give him to the Chantry. He wasn’t sure which would be worse.

            “Do you remember what happened? How any of this started?” Leliana questioned him as Cassandra moved out of the way. The truth was, Nathaniel had no idea what happened, but he couldn’t just say that or risk them not trusting him.

            “I was running with a woman. Things were chasing us and…” He spat out the first thing that came to mind. Leliana’s eyes squinted at him in the meager light. Nathaniel swallowed and shifted his eyes elsewhere.

            “Seems he will be no help as of now, Cassandra. I will head to the forward camp while you take him to the rift,” Leliana turned to the woman,” Don’t die”. Cassandra rolled her eyes and pulled Nathaniel off the floor as Leliana left out the door. He stumbled while using Cassandra as a crutch to stand but stood tall as when he finally got his footing. She was only a few inches shorter than him.

            “So,” Nathaniel said,” What _did_ happen?” Cassandra stopped with her hand on the door out.

            “It.. it would be easier to show you. It is not something I can explain,” She said solemnly. But he already knew what it was and what she meant. Nathaniel wasn’t sure whether he wanted to see it or not. However, he was not given a choice before the Chantry’s doors were flung open and he saw the Breach and all its horrid destruction. He saw it and he tensed and he growled. This… _this_ is what Emma had meant. Thedas and its people were in ruins. And Nathaniel knew who had caused it all.

            “This is what an explosion did?” He growled between clenched teeth. Cassandra’s eyebrows raised at his blatant anger.

            “Yes, this is what it did. And unless we act, it will grow until the Breach swallows the world,” She stated in confirmation of what he already knew.

            In the distance, the Breach grew in size. The anchor responded by flaring on Nathaniel’s hand, sending him to the frozen ground. He cradled it to his chest in a poor attempt to subdue the pain. Cassandra kneeled down to him.

            “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this but we don’t have much time,” Cassandra pleaded with him, almost like she expected him to refuse. He saw in her eyes too, that desperate need for this to stop.

            “Fine. Let’s go stop this thing, and then? Then we’ll find the bastard who started it,” He promised from his position on the ground. Nathaniel took the hand Cassandra offered him when she stood up.

            “Then let’s get going.” Nathaniel smiled when he saw the look of surprise Cassandra had before turning away. He had started to follow her before he heard the screaming. Alarms sounded around Haven while people ran. A soldier ran up to the two of them.

            “Enemies. Attacking. Up there,” He huffed while pointing in the other direction. Cassandra stared at the sight of an Elf riding the enormous wolf barreling through the middle of camp towards them. Minor electricity shot out from the snarling wolf, hitting any soldier stupid enough to try to stop them. The soldiers that were hit slumped to the ground: not dead, just paralyzed. The elf perched gracefully on the wolf’s back held a bow in its hands, daring anyone to get past the field of electricity.

            “Get behind me!” Cassandra ordered as she unsheathed her sword and shield. The wolf and rider got closer and closer, thundering past cabins and tents and not paying attention to anyone but them. The moment they got close enough to be a real threat, Cassandra charged. But Nathaniel recognized the faces and fur of the pair in front of them.

            “WAIT!” He exclaimed. Cassandra did not listen. She slammed into the field of electricity, but only staggered back and remained unharmed.

            The elf hopped down off the wolf, aiming the bow at Cassandra with a snarl on her face.

            “Give us back our brother. _Now_ ,” Rose snapped at the Seeker, “Or my lovely wolf companion here…” Emma growled from behind Rose. “Will paralyze you all until we are thousands of miles away from this place and leave you to the mercy of the demons.”

 

A few hours beforehand…

**EMMA P.O.V.**

Emma sat with Rose on the outside of Haven. Directly above the frozen waterfall, they observed the town across the lake. There was calamity everywhere.

            More bodies were carried in than injured soldiers, and many civilians were among the dead. Healers were running this way and that, and no one knew quite what to do.

            However, that was not why they were watching. Emma and Rose were looking for Nathaniel. She knew that he would be there somewhere; she just did not know where. Rose had seen soldiers pulling him in, but did not engage them or stick around to see where they took him.

            Nathaniel had survived, but she knew he was weak. Emma reached out for that link between them and huffed when she felt it. She realized earlier that it had changed; that where a door into his mind had been sitting now shown a blinding light. There might still be an entrance where she could reach out to him, but trying to force her consciousness through the light without knowing how it would affect him could be, no _would_ be, extremely dangerous. And Emma was not about to risk hurting him when she had only just gotten him back.

            The tie to Rose was there as well, but hers had a marble door decorated with all sorts of flowers (The most prominent one being pink camellias, her favorite). Emma could speak to Rose through the door if she opened it or even cracked it a bit. It was the only way she could communicate while in her… situation. She had never tried to go through the doors into her siblings’ minds if she could even do it. Emma was not intent on finding out what would happen or what she would see.

            “Emma! Look!” Rose called out from her side. Emma looked to where she was pointing, and a growl rose in her chest at what she saw.

            Nathaniel, bruised and dirty, kneeled on the ground curled up in pain. Meanwhile, Cassandra stood off to the side and stared at him uncaringly. No one was trying to help! They ignored him as if… as if he was nothing.

            “ _Rose. Get on my back. **Now**_.” Rose seemed uneasy at Emma’s sudden change in demeanor but did as she said. _Good,_ Emma thought, _we don’t have time to argue about this._

            “Emma, what- “

            “ _We are going to get our brother. I’ll be using my basic lighting to stun the soldiers.  If anyone gets too close to us, shoot them with an arrow. Don’t kill them; the Inquisition will need every soldier it can get,”_ Emma explained while sitting back on her haunches,” _Are you ready?”_

            Rose held the bow ready in one hand and clutched her fur in the other. Then she nodded.

            Emma sprung off the top of the frozen waterfall, wind whipping past them as they freefell to the lake below. Her legs groaned as she landed on the hard ice, some of it breaking underneath her. Rose bobbled above her as she bounded towards the gate into Haven.

            “WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT? THERE WAS LITERALLY AN EASIER WAY DOWN NOT FIVE FEET TO OUR LEFT!” Rose yelled while clinging to her fur.

            The very definition of a wolfish grin found its way onto Emma’s very wolfish face.

            “ _I always wanted to do a badass landing,”_ She admitted, “ _Didn’t realize how much it was going to hurt.”_

            Rose bellowed out a laugh.

            The pair thundered onto the other side of the lake. Soldiers and civilians alike lunged out of their path. Emma began stunning those who tried to stop them as they passed through the gates all to easily. _They should really work on that._

            It took them no more than a minute to reach their brother and Cassandra.

            “Get behind me!” Emma heard the order clearly. Cassandra unsheathed her sword and shield as Emma slowed to a stop in front of them. The path behind Emma and Rose was littered with either unconscious or paralyzed bodies, and Emma could see the blatant fear in Cassandra’s eyes when she saw it.

“WAIT!” Emma shifted her focus towards the voice. The Seeker used this as a distraction and charged at the wolf. Caught off guard, Emma hastily threw up a barrier of electricity. The Seeker stumbled backward at the impact, mostly unharmed but still wary of the wolf and elf in front of her.

Rose hopped down off her and aimed an arrow directly at Cassandra’s face. There was no backing out now. They both snarled at the seeker.

“Give us back our brother. _Now_ ,” Rose snapped, “Or my lovely wolf companion here…” Emma growled from behind Rose. “Will paralyze you all until we are thousands of miles away from this place and leave you to the mercy of the demons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo how was it? Please leave kudos and I always love hearing from you guys :) (If there is anything wrong with grammar or any inconsistencies with anything else please tell me so I can fix it! Thank you)


End file.
